Karst research and development of karstology:

He has been employed at the ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute since 1986, and has been the head of the institute since 1995. Since 1999, he has been in charge of the central karstology programme “Karst Research”. He is creatively involved in the content and organisational development of domestic and international karstology.

He has summarised his findings on the formation and development of cave rock features and on the importance of cave rocky relief as traces of the development of caves in the books Cave Rocky Relief (1995) and Jamske skalne oblike [Cave Rock Features] (2014). He has expanded his research to include the karst surface. He is the co-author of the following books: Classical Karst (1997), Evolution of Karst (2002), and Sinkholes and Subsidence: Karst and Cavernous Rocks in Engineering and Construction (2005). He is the co-initiator, co-editor and co-author of the books Kraški pojavi, odkriti med gradnjo slovenskih avtocest [Karst Features Discovered during Motorway Construction in Slovenia] (2007), Karst Rock Features, Karren Sculpturing (2009), South China Karst I (1998) and South China Karst II (2011), Krasoslovje v razvojnih izzivih na krasu [Karstology and Development Challenges on Karst] (2012), The Beka-Ocizla Cave System (2015), Cave Exploration in Slovenia (2016) and Karstology in the Classical Karst (2020). He has also studied the karst of China, Australia, Iran, Japan, Vietnam, Brazil, United Arab Emirates and Siberia. As a professor he teaches at the Karstology postgraduate study programme at the University of Nova Gorica, lecturing on karstology, the karst surface and caves; he also teaches at the Faculty of Humanities Koper of the University of Primorska, and at the School of Sustainable Tourism. He participates in the development of karstology study programmes. He is the initiator and co-founder of the first and only karstology study programme. He helps with coordinating the work at the UNESCO Chair on Karst Education. He takes part in planning interventions in karst and in its protection. He is collaborating with karstologists from all over the world; he is the signatory of international cooperation agreements with several research institutes and universities, and is preparing the International Karstological School “Classical Karst” with colleagues. He is one of the initiators and heads of the International Center for Karst Research of Yunnan University and the Yunnan International Karst Environmental Laboratory in Kunming. He is a member of the editorial board of the Slovenian journal Acta Carsologica, of the Hungarian karstology journal Karst Development and of the Brazilian journal Tourism and Karst Areas. He is a member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Karst Geology under the auspices of UNESCO in Guilin, China.

For his research work in China and for connecting karstologists, he has received the Chinese Friendship with Yunnan Award; for his contribution to international karstology, he has received an award from the Karst Waters Institute (USA), an association of American karstologists.

Selected bibliography:

ČLANKI / PAPERS

• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, TRAJANOVA, Mirka, AKIMOVA, Tatjana, KALMYKOV, Igor. The karren peeling off on marbles in Altai (Altai Republic, Russian Federation). Acta carsologica. 2020, 49, 1, 11-38. DOI: 10.3986/ac.v49i1.7197.
• KNEZ, Martin, RUGGIERI, Rosario, SLABE, Tadej. Karren above Custonaci (Sicily, Italy). Acta carsologica, 2019, 48, 1, 43-58. DOI: 10.3986/ac.v48i1.7029.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, URUSHIBARA-YOSHINO, Kazuko. Lithology, rock relief and karstification of Minamidaito Island (Japan). Acta carsologica, 2017, 46, 1, 47-62. DOI: 10.3986/ac.v46i1.2022.
• AUDRA, Philippe, BOSÁK, Pavel, GÁZQUEZ, Fernando, CAILHOL, Didier, SKÁLA, Roman, LISÁ, Lenka, JONÁŠOVÁ, Šárka, FRUMKIN, Amos, KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, AL FARRAJ AL KETBI, Asma. Bat urea-derived minerals in arid environment: first identification of allantoin, C4H6N4O3, in Kahf Kharrat Najem Cave, United Arab Emirates. International journal of speleology, 2017, 46, 1, 81-92. DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.46.1.2001.
• GABROVŠEK, Franci, KNEZ, Martin, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, MIHEVC, Andrej, OTONIČAR, Bojan, MULEC, Janez, PERNE, Matija, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, RAVBAR, Nataša, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja. Development challenges in karst regions : sustainable land use planning in the karst of Slovenia. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, ISSN 0372-8854, Supplementband, 60, 2, 2016, 293-318. DOI: 1127/zfg_suppl/2016/00309.
• MIHEVC, Andrej, GABROVŠEK, Franci, KNEZ, Martin, KOZEL, Peter, MULEC, Janez, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja. Karst in Slovenia. Boletín geológico y minero, 2016, 127, 1, 79-97.
• http://www.igme.es/boletin/2016/127_1/BG_127-1_Art-6.pdf.
• GUTIÉRREZ DOMECH, Roberto, KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Felo Pérez Mogote (Viñales, Pinar del Río, Cuba) : typical shaping of rock surface below dense tropical vegetation. Acta carsologica, 2015, 44, 1, 47-57. DOI: 3986/ac.v44i1.680.
• AL FARRAJ AL KETBI, Asma, SLABE, Tadej, KNEZ, Martin, GABROVŠEK, Franci, MULEC, Janez, PETRIČ, Metka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja. Karst in Ras Al-Khaimah, northern United Arab Emirates. Acta carsologica, 2014, 43, 1, 23-41. DOI: 3986/ac.v43i1.579.
• KNEZ, Martin, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, LIU, Hong, MULEC, Janez, PETRIČ, Metka, RAVBAR, Nataša, SLABE, Tadej. Karstological study of the new Kunming airport building area (Yunnan, China). Environmental earth sciences, 2012, 67, 1, 273-283. DOI: 1007/s12665-011-1506-x.
• KNEZ, Martin, LIU, Hong, SLABE, Tadej. Major stone forest, litomorphogenesis and development of typical shilin (Yunnan, China). Acta carsologica, 2012, 41, 2/3, 205-218. http://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/558.
• DEBEVEC, Bogdan, KNEZ, Martin, KRANJC, Andrej, PAHOR, Marko, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, SEMEJA, Aleš, SLABE, Tadej. Preliminary study for the adaptation of the “Heaven’s Cave” for tourist purposes (Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam). Acta carsologica, 2012, 41, 1, 115-127. http://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/52.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, PANISSET TRAVASSOS, Luiz Eduardo. Karren on laminar calcarenitic rock of Lagoa Santa (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Acta carsologica, 2011, 40, 2, 357-367. http://carsologica.zrc-sazu.si/downloads/402/Knez-et-al.pdf.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Karren of Mushroom Mountain (Junzi Shan) in the Eastern Yunnan Ridge, Yunnan, China : karstological and tourist attraction. Acta geologica sinica, 2010, 84, 2, 424-431. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00203.x/full.

KNJIGE, NASTALE Z NJEGOVO IDEJNO ZASNOVO, ZNANSTVENIM PRISPEVKOM IN UREDNIŠKIM DELOM / BOOKS, INITIATOR, AUTHOR AND EDITOR:

• BLATNIK, Matej, CULVER, David C., GABROVŠEK, Franci, KNEZ, Martin, KOGOVŠEK, Blaž, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, LIU, Hong, MAYAUD, Cyril, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, ALJANČIČ, Magdalena, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, SHAW, Trevor R., SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, KNEZ, Martin, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, SLABE, Tadej. Karstology in the Classical Karst, (Advances in karst science). Cham: Springer, 2020. XII, 222. DOI: 1007/978-3-030-26827-5.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, GABROVŠEK, Franci, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, KRANJC, Andrej, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PERNE, Matija, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, BOSÁK, Pavel, PRUNER, Petr, LIU, Hong, KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Cave exploration in Slovenia : discovering over 350 new caves during motorway construction on classical karst, (Cave and karst systems of the world). Cham: Springer, 2016. XIII, 324. DOI: 1007/978-3-319-21203-6.
• GABROVŠEK, Franci, KNEZ, Martin, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PERNE, Matija, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, TURK, Janez, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja. The Beka-Ocizla cave system : karstological railway planning in Slovenia, (Cave and karst systems of the world). Cham: Springer, 2015. X, 102. DOI: 1007/978-3-319-04456-9.
• CULVER, David C., DEBEVEC, Bogdan, KNEZ, Martin, KOVAČIČ, Gregor, KRANJC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, SEMEJA, Aleš, SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, KNEZ, Martin, PETRIČ, Metka, SLABE, Tadej. Karstology and development challenges on karst. 2, Construction, tourism, ecology, protection, (Carsologica, 14). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2012. 199. http://zalozba.zrc-sazu.si/p/926.
• KNEZ, Martin, PETRIČ, Metka, SLABE, Tadej. Karstology and development challenges on karst. 1, Water, (Carsologica, 13). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2011. 167. http://zalozba.zrc-sazu.si/p/309.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Shilin – the formation of stone forests in various rock. In: KNEZ, Martin, LIU, Hong, SLABE, Tadej. South China karst II, (Carsologica, 12). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2011, 35-48. http://zalozba.zrc-sazu.si/p/718.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Lithological characteristics, shape and rock relief of the Lunan stone forest. In: GINÉS, Ángel, KNEZ, Martin et al. Karst rock features: karren sculpturing, (Carsologica, 9). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2009, 439-452. http://zalozba.zrc-sazu.si/p/278.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Krasoslovna spremljava gradnje, raziskave ter načrtovanja avtocest prek slovenskega krasa. In: KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Kraški pojavi, razkriti med gradnjo slovenskih avtocest, (Carsologica, 7). Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2007, 9-22. http://zalozba.zrc-sazu.si/p/310.
• SLABE, Tadej. Rock relief of pillars in the Lunan stone forests. V: et al. South China karst I. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 1998. Str. 51-67, ilustr. Zbirka ZRC, 19. ISBN 961-6182-68-4.
• SLABE, Tadej. Cave rocky relief and its speleogenetical significance. Ljubljana: Znanstvenoraziskovalni center SAZU, 1995. 128 str., ilustr. Zbirka ZRC, 10. ISBN 961-6182-03-X.

POGLAVJA V KNJIGAH / BOOK CHAPTERS:

• KNEZ, Martin, HONG, L., SLABE, Tadej. Stripped karen on Snake Mountain above Kunming (Yunnan, China). V: ANDREO NAVARRO, Bartolomé (ur.). Hydrogeological and environmental investigations in Karst systems, (Environmental Earth Sciences, vol. 1). Heidelberg: Springer, 2015, 589-597.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Stone forests and their rock relief. V: SHRODER, John F. (ur.). Treatise on geomorphology. 1st ed. San Diego: Academic Press: Elsevier, 2013, 6, 139-156, ilustr. DOI: 1016/978-0-12-374739-6.00124-X.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Caves and sinkholes in motorway construction, Slovenia : case study 3. V: WALTHAM, Tony, BELL, Fred, CULSHAW, Martin. Sinkholes and subsidence: karst and cavernous rocks in engineering and construction, (Springer-Praxis books in geophysical sciences). Berlin: Springer: Praxis, 2005, 283-288.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Highways on karst. V: GUNN, John (ur.). Encyclopedia of caves and karst science. New York; London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004, 419-420.
• KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej. Lithologic and morphological properties and rock relief of the Lunan stone forest. V: GABROVŠEK, Franci (ur.). Evolution of karst: from prekarst to cessation. Postojna: Inštitut za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU; Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2002, 259-266.